C.U. Women’s Soccer
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CU Women’s Soccer Ties Cal 1-1 In Double Overtime
Oct 19th
BERKELEY, Calif. – As the final minute of regulation ticked down at Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium, the University of Colorado soccer team looked primed to upset No. 9 California.
With 42 seconds remaining, Cal netted the equalizer, tying the game at 1-1, a score that would hold for two overtimes.
After a defensive battle in the first half, the Buffaloes grabbed the lead in the 67th minute. Madison Krauser, assisted by Anne Stuller, found the back of the net for her third goal of the game. In the final minute, following a Colorado foul, the Golden Bears tied the game up, with Emi Lawson heading one in off an Arianna Martinez assist. Cal outshot CU 6-1 in overtime play, but neither team could get their golden goal, giving the Buffs their first tie of the season.
“I think the first half was pretty tight,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “There weren’t a lot of chances to be had either way. In the second half, Madi scored a great goal with a nice feed from Anne Stuller that banged the back of the goal. At that point, Cal started sending everybody forward. We withstood a couple really dangerous opportunities and they got that one there at the end. I’m pleased with how we responded in overtime. The tendency is to get down, but we kept battling. When it’s all said and done, I think it’s a good result to get on the road against a top 10 team. I’m disappointed that they scored so late, but if you take a step back and look at it, it was probably a good result over 110 minutes.”
The last time the Buffs tied a ranked team was in the 2010 Big 12 Tournament, when CU pushed No. 6 Texas A&M to 0-0 double overtime draw. (That same season, the Buffs beat the No. 6 Aggies 2-1 in an overtime battle in College Station, Texas to record their first regular season victory over A&M – marking the Buffs’ last victory over a ranked opponent).
CU moves to 11-3-1 overall, 3-2-1 Pac-12 Conference. With its fifth tie of the season, Cal is now 9-1-5, 2-1-3 Pac-12. The Bears’ lone loss of the season was to No. 2 UCLA last weekend.
Cal has allowed just one first half goal this season, and that early defensive pressure showed on Friday. The Buffs were held to just two shots in the opening 45 minutes, but got opportunities off five corner kicks (Cal took zero corners in the first half).
In the eighth minute, Stuller took the Buffs’ first corner kick. Five minutes later, Emily Paxton took the first shot of the game, making Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger grab a save.
Cal quickly responded, with Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick forcing Anne Brunner to grab a save of her own. Though the Buffs took two more corners, the Bears were back on the attack with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Samantha Witteman and Celeste Boureille both hit on target, with Brunner snatching two more saves.
In the final five minutes before the break, the Buffs hit two more corner kicks and Darcy Jerman got her shot blocked, keeping the game scoreless.
Both teams were ready to get on the board in the beginning of the second half, with Cal’s Mekenna DeBack hitting one wide, and Stuller responding with a shot for the Buffs. In the 58th minute, Carly Bolyard took a corner kick. The Buffs kept possession, and Paxton got another shot at the keeper.
In the 67th minute, the Buffs finally hit the back of the net, with Krauser dribbling into the center from the left past a Cal defender and putting the Buffs up 1-0. The Buffs remained on the attack, with Paxton forcing another Kruger save in the 69th minute.
Back-to-back corner kicks helped Cal get back on offense, with Arielle Ship hitting one wide. Though the Buffs responded with shots by Brooke Rice and Olivia Pappalardo, Cal dominated the final minutes of regulation. In the 86th minute, Fitzpatrick once again rushed the net and Brunner got the save.
As the clock wound down, the Buffs were seconds away from the upset. At 89:53, Alex Huynh received a yellow card, helping turn the tides for the Bears. With just 42 seconds remaining, Emi Lawson headed the ball in off an Arianna Martinez assist, sending the game into overtime.
“They had a lot of players going forward and they won a free kick in the corner,” Sanchez said. “It was a great service and a great header. I don’t think there’s anything we could about either one of them. If you’re going to get scored on, you want it to be a good goal like that one … It doesn’t matter when you score them; it’s just that you score them. That’s why Cal’s a good team. They got one late, but we responded well. To get that result in the Pac-12 on the road is good.”
In the first five minutes of overtime, Cal took three shots. Colorado was never able to find its offensive stride, but looked strong defensively. Though the Bears took two corner kicks in the final four minutes of the first overtime, the Buffs kept them from any good looks. The teams were in familiar territory in the 100th minute, as Cal’s Fitzpatrick received a yellow card, but 45 seconds wasn’t enough for the Buffs to put the game away.
Pappalardo hit the Buffs’ only shot in the extra minutes, which Kruger saved at the 102:01 mark. Cal’s leading scorer and 2012 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Ifeoma Onumonu took her first shot of the game in the final minute, but Brunner was ready one final time for the save.
“They were great,” Sanchez said of the Buffs’ defense. “Ifeoma is so dangerous, and I think we did a good job of pushing her wide and making her be the provider and not the finisher. I felt we did a pretty good job on her, but she’s just so dangerous over the full stretch of the match. Those are the type of forwards you face in the Pac-12, and our back four did enough to get us the result. We’re pleased with the result and we’re really pleased with what they did and what Brunner did.”
The Buffs return home next weekend for their final games at Prentup Field. The tough competition continues as the Buffs face USC and UCLA. Both games will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks.
“USC had a bit of a stumble at the beginning of Pac-12 play, but they’ve been hot,” Sanchez said. “They tied this same Cal team, and beat Stanford. They’re really playing well. UCLA, at this point, is the frontrunner to win the league. They’re still undefeated in the league. They’re a very good team and very deep with talent. We know the challenges. I think it will be great to be back home, especially with our last home games of the season and Senior Day on Sunday. We hope to get a big crowd out and to get some results. We have five games left in conference play, and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with your CU soccer team in the Breast Cancer Awareness game on Friday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. The first 500 fans to arrive will receive a FREE pink CU rally towel!
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Marlee Horn
Graduate Assistant SID
University of Colorado
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CU soccer team needs overtime to beat U of Washington
Oct 14th
SEATTLE – After a slow start at the Husky Soccer Complex, senior Anne Stuller gave the University of Colorado soccer team the upper-hand over Washington, netting the game-winner in the sixth minute of overtime.
The Pac-12 Conference leader in shots and corner kicks, the Buffs have had to fight against tough defensive pressure in their first true road trip of the season. Though they entered the game averaging 9.31 first half shots, the Huskies limited the Buffs to just one shot in the opening 45 minutes, marking just the fourth time this season the Buffs have taken fewer than five shots in the first half.
“Washington is great defensively and they have a very good goalkeeper,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “There just wasn’t a lot of chances to be had either way for us. I felt that defensively, we were really tight and we limited their opportunities. We knew that there wouldn’t be a lot of chances to be had, but fortunately for us, the one good chance we had, we took care of.”
With their first road victory of the season, Colorado improves to 11-3 overall, 3-2 Pac-12. The Buffs are now a perfect 2-0 in overtime matches in 2013. Despite taking only one shot in the first half, CU outshot UW 15-11, including a six to two differential on goal. Continuing to shine in the net, Annie Brunner has become just the third CU keeper to record at least 11 wins in a single season. The shutout was Brunner’s eighth of the season, topping her 2012 total of 7.1.
Previously undefeated in Pac-12 play, with wins over USC and Utah and a double-overtime tie against then No. 3 UCLA, Washington slips to 6-6-2, 2-1-2 Pac-12. Redshirt junior Kate Bennett led the Huskies with five shots, taking both of the team’s shots on goal.
“It was a hard fought Pac-12 match,” Sanchez said. “Washington’s on a great roll. They’re tough to score on. They hadn’t given up a goal in Pac-12 play, so we knew it’d take something special. Anne Stuller did something special to win it for us.”
The Buffs got an opportunity in the opening 15 minutes when Madison Krauser, who led the Buffs with six shots, got the ball deep in Washington territory. From the 18 yard line, defensive pressure forced her to make a move, but she couldn’t get enough power on the kick to take a shot. Washington was quick to respond, causing commotion near the Buffs’ net, but CU finally got a good clearance to send the ball back in the other direction.
It wasn’t until the 27th minute that the Huskies were able to take the first shot of the game. A cross found Bennett at the net, but her shot was blocked, and Brunner came out to meet it. Less than four minutes later, UW was back on the attack, but this time Bennett sent the ball wide from close range. The Huskies continued to press the net. Brooke Rice looked strong on the defensive side of the ball, blocking any looks at the net. Though UW got a corner kick, the shot went long and helped the Buffs take over on the offense.
CU got its best chance of the half in the 36th minute. From the middle of the box, Darcy Jerman crossed left to Krauser, who was stopped by her defender, setting up a corner kick. Alex Huynh got her head on the ball, but the Buffs’ sole shot of the half was blocked. The Buffs retained possession, but a CU foul finally allowed UW to get the ball.
In the final five minutes, Washington caused several close calls for the Buffs. Getting the ball from the right corner of the box, Jaclyn Softli got within 12 yards, but her header was blocked by a CU defender. Though the Buffs got back deep into UW territory, a final throw in got away from them, allowing the Huskies to rush to the Buffs’ net. Brunner came out of the net in anticipation, leaving an empty net for Softli. Softli slammed the ball just left of the post, keeping the game scoreless at the break.
After taking just one shot in the first 45 minutes, the Buffs opened the second half on an offensive stride, with Krauser taking two shots in the first nine minutes. The Buffs continued to press the net and dictate the tempo, getting another opportunity off back-to-back shots by Krauser and Stuller.
Washington couldn’t regroup on the offense until the 69th minute, with Bennett shooting at the keeper. Bennett was on it again at 70:20, this time getting blocked. Following a corner kick, the Huskies sent another shot wide. Unwilling to remain in a defensive fight, the Buffs attacked the UW net. Tori Cooper got to the net and shot from close range, striking at Megan Kufeld, who had come out of the net.
The Huskies responded with a great chance of their own in the 77th minute. Lindsay Elston got to the net, but Brunner punched the ball away, and the Huskies were unable to convert on the following corner kick.
The Buffs continued to dominate in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Bianca Jones sent a deep ball to the net, where several Buffs got touches, even forcing Kufeld out of the net for a moment, but couldn’t find a shot. Following a corner kick, Krauser took the ball behind the box, forcing a shot that got blocked. She found the rebound and hit the ball just high.
Though the Huskies would get another chance, forcing Brunner to grab another save, it was the Buffs who continued to shine offensively in the closing minutes, with Stuller and Jerman each taking two shots in the final five minutes of regulation.
CU didn’t slow down in just their second overtime match of the season, quickly taking over on the offense. In the first minute, Krauser got an open look, but her shot went just over the crossbar. The Huskies were able to respond with a shot of their own in the 95th minute, but their attack wouldn’t last long.
A Washington foul just outside the box helped set up the Buffs’ game-winner. From 22 yards out, Stuller booted a free kick to the near post to give the Buffs the 1-0 victory.
“She was from a bit of a wide angle, and she just had a great strike,” Sanchez said. “… We were starting to pressure and get the ball into deeper spots. I think the game-winning goal was a by-product of that.”
With eight goals this season, Stuller matches her total from last season, which ranks in the top eight for a single season at CU. Her 22 total points this season ties for the most by a CU senior.
The Buffs conclude their three game road trip in Berkeley, Calif. (the site of their first ever Pac-12 Conference win). CU takes on No. 8 California at 1:30 p.m. MT on Friday, Oct. 18 before returning to Prentup Field for their final two home games of the season.
“I told the team after the match, this is the Pac-12, and after the game on Friday, we had to bounce back,” Sanchez said. “Nobody’s feeling sorry for anybody and the games are going to be like this. We have to continue the momentum and play with confidence. They’re a top 10, top 15 team with one loss … We know the challenge of being on the road. Hopefully we’re a little more comfortable with it and we’ll come out and play.”
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Marlee Horn
Graduate Assistant SID
University of Colorado
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